There's a reason the Strasburg native made it on "The Voice." Wolpert could make the phone book sound good.

So the fact that Wolpert's concert at American Music Theatre on Feb. 15 included three encores and multiple standing ovations from the crowd is not a surprise. He wowed with performances of Ray Charles' bluesy "I Don't Need No Doctor" and The Killer's pop-rock "Mr. Brightside." Then there was Queen's "Somebody to Love," for which Wolpert brought out the St. Peter's choir.

Fellow "The Voice" contestant Cole Vosbury, who joined Wolpert throughout the show on guitar and vocals, shined in John Mayer's "Come When I Call" and Ja'net Dubois' "Moving On Up."

View full sizeJames Wolpert performs at the American Music Theatre in Lancaster on Saturday night.

The crowd for the sold-out show spanned the ages, going from children to grandparents - the least represented group being twenty-somethings. Women dominated.

It was telling that the most popular songs with the audience were Wolpert and Vosbury's covers of The Eagles' "Hotel California," Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You" and Extreme's "More Than Words."

The crowd also craved songs from his stint on "The Voice," cheering loudly whenever familiar chords were strummed.

The NBC's show bookended Wolpert's concert.

He began with "Love Interruption," the song that turned the four judges chairs during the blind audition. He ended it with "More Than a Feeling" - a performance that almost cost him his spot on the show. He was saved by Levine, who insisted that it was simply an off performance from Wolpert, who had nailed the song in rehearsals.

But on Saturday night, Wolpert showed the crowd what it was that Levine had heard behind-the-scenes. He nailed the song, hitting all the soaring notes and bringing the audience to its feet.

While Wolpert's voice was at its best, the show values failed to match.

Wolpert has skipped some crucial steps, skyrocketing from busking on the streets of Pittsburgh to performing on "The Voice" to selling out 1,600 capacity theaters.

All of this was evident in the long bouts of dead air in-between songs and the short length of the concert (only 1 hour 45 minutes, no opener).

There are a few mortal sins for performers - and dead air is one of them.

For Wolpert, it was the most pressing problem. It occurred after nearly every number and lasted for several minutes. Halfway through the show, Wolpert and Vosbury caught on to the problem and began filling the silence with some slight banter only for it to die out.

Wolpert appeared to have figured out how to solve the problem when he led the crowd in a call and response vocal warm-up before "Somebody to Love." He had the crowd roaring with laughter after they tripped over their tongues trying to mimic his string of notes.

It was evident early on that the audience loved Wolpert. Many beamed with pride over their hometown hero ("Lancaster's proud of you!" a woman shouted in the lull between songs). That good will held true for Wolpert's original work as well, which was unfamiliar to most in the audience due to the fact his EP has yet to be released.

Wolpert's original songs have a rock edge, but they buck traditional pop song structures. His voice in each is beautifully melancholy, each note filled with a hint of sadness and longing - except when seething with frustration, as is the case in "Bats." His upcoming EP won't please every one of the fans that came to see him at American Music Theatre - but it will be worth a listen.

Overall, Wolpert's show was great and his next will be better. He has solid material to work with and all the talent needed to take him far. Once the showmanship catches up to the rest of it, he'll be selling out stadiums in no time.

Wolpert and Vosbury will also be performing at 7 p.m. Feb. 16 at the American Music Theatre. Tickets are $39 and available at www.amtshows.com.